How to...

Share

Profile

How do I access my profile page?

To access your profile from the community, follow the " "Hi (your screen name)"" link at the top of the screen. Or just click here.

How do I make my profile private?

You cannot make your whole profile private but you can control who sees various parts of it.
On your profile page there are dropdown options to choose whether your recent activity, and groups are viewable to "Everyone" or "Only me". Select the option you prefer.

You can double check what's public and what's not by following the "My public profile" link in the left-hand column. It's completely up to you how much of your profile you decide to share.

Your personal privacy is extremely important to us. However, this website is accessible by anyone with an internet connection, so bear that in mind when posting comments, photos and videos in groups.

Never provide your password , telephone numbers, or home address to anyone online. Be very careful about responding to solicitations for interviews or research (unless invited to do so by a BabyCenter staff member). Give out your e-mail address only if you want to receive e-mail. If you post your e-mail address on the site, you've made it public and given other users tacit permission to contact you.

Please read our Privacy policy for specific details about what information we collect and how we use it.

If you select "Upload your own", then you will be able to browse your computer for the right picture. Once you've made your selection, hit "Save" at the bottom of the page.
Your choice of photo will now appear on your profile page and on your posts.

How do I tell other members about myself?

You can tell other members about yourself by filling in the "Introduce yourself" box on your profile. This is a great way to give others a quick insight into your world.

Have fun playing with the font colours and smileys, too. Once you're happy with your signature, hit "Save" at the bottom of the page. Your signature will now appear at the bottom of all your posts and comments.

You can use your signature to tell others the names and ages of your children, or to promote a parenting idea that you're particularly passionate about. Please note that while you can advertise your home business in your signature you cannot recruit for direct-sales, post surveys or link to special codes.

How do I add my ticker?

You will need to create your ticker on a ticker site. You can find one easily by using a search engine. The ticker site will walk you through the steps to create a ticker. For example, it will prompt you for your due date and ask you to choose a ticker image you like best from a selection provided. Once you have completed the steps, the ticker site will provide you with an image URL. Once you have the url of your ticker, choose "Edit account details" from the "Hi (your screen name)" menu at the top of the page. Enter the URL of the ticker in the "Add a ticker" box and then hit "Save" at the bottom of the page.

How can I change my screen name?

Sorry, it's not possible to change your screen name. The only way to do it is to create a new account.

Once you pick your screen name, you're stuck with it, so make sure you choose a good one that's going to last! For example, ‘PregnantMum’ might be great now, but what about when the baby arrives and you're not pregnant anymore?

How do I send a personal message to another member?

Go to the profile of the member you want to send the message to by hitting on their screen name in any of their posts. Select "Send a message" in the left-hand column. You'll then be able to compose your message with a title, before hitting "Send". Your message will be sent by email to the member. Your email address will not be revealed.

How do I reply to a personal message sent to me by another member?

If you have been sent a personal message from another member by email, hit the "Reply to this member" button on the email. This will take you to a form on BabyCenter where you can fill in your reply.

Groups

Selecting a topic from the drop down will show you all the groups that fall under that category.

How do I join a group?

Visit the group you would like to join. Then hit the "Join this group" button on the right of the page.

How do I leave a group?

Click on the My groups link at the top of the page. Find the group you want to leave. At the end of the group description you will find a link to leave the group.

If you are the owner of the group and want to give up your admin status, you need to go to the group and hit "Edit group". Under "Group owners" you will be able to select "Remove group owner" next to your name.

How do I create my own group?

If you've had a look at the group topics and can't find a group you like, then why not create your own? Follow the link to "Add a group" on any group topic page. You'll then be able to choose a name, write a brief description and select a picture for your brand new group, before inviting all your friends to join you there.

How do I see a list of all my groups?

Click on the My groups link at the top of the page. Or visit your profile and follow the link to your groups in the left column.

How do I add another group owner to my group?

Go to your group and hit the "Edit group" button in the group details area. On the Edit your group page, the group owners are listed on the right. Hit the link "Add group owner". Enter the screen name of the member you want to become an owner of the group. Hit "Add".

How do I delete a group?

If you own a group that needs to be closed or deleted, please contact us, and we can close the group for you.

How do I change my group description or group photo?

Go to your group and hit the "Edit group" button in the group details area. You are now on a page where you can edit all your group details including your group description and group photo. Don't forget to hit save.

I filed my group in the wrong category. How do I change it?

Go to your group and hit the "Edit group" button in the group details area. On the Edit your group page you can choose a new category for your group from the drop down menu. Don't forget to hit save.

How can I send a private message to the group owners?

Go to the group page. In the group details area you can find a link to "Message group owners". Your message will be sent by email but your email address will not be revealed. The group owners can reply to your email via the BabyCenter community.

Birth clubs

What is a birth club?

A birth club is a group whose members are all due, or whose babies were born, at the same time. Joining a birth club is a great way to share your pregnancy and parenting journey with other mums and dads like you.

How do I find the right birth club for me?

Go to the birth clubs page. Enter your due date or the date your baby was born into the drop down menu and hit go. You will then be taken to your birth club.

Posts

How do I create a new post in a group?

First browse the list of all our groups here. When you have found a group that best fits your topic click into the group to see the list of discussions for that group. To start your own discussion simply click on the "Start a post" link in the group details area. Write your message, choose a title and click "Submit". Any new discussion you start will be added to My activity on your profile page so you can easily find your post to see if anyone has responded to your discussion.

Who can see my posts?

Your personal privacy is extremely important to us. However, this website is accessible by anyone with an internet connection, so bear that in mind when posting comments, photos and videos in groups. If you contribute to a group your contributions will be indexed by search engines and will be viewable to anyone with internet access.

How do I reply to someone else's post?

Scroll down to the comments box at the bottom of the post. Add your comment and hit "Submit".

How do I quote someone else's post in my comment?

You just need to hit "Reply" below the comment you would like to quote. This will make the quote the first part of your new comment, with your own message appearing underneath it.

How do I post a photo or other image?

To add a photo or image click on the camera icon that can be found below the Comments box. Choose the photo or image you want to add, then click on "Start post".

Videos that have already been uploaded to YouTube can be added to a post or comment. To add a video click on the video camera icon that can be found below the Comments box. Then paste the YouTube video link into the box that appears.

How do I add a link (web site address) to a post?

If you would like to link a word in a post, type the word to be linked, then highlight the word by clicking and dragging your cursor over it. Next, click the "Add hyperlink" button in the formatting options at the top of the editing page (the one that looks like a chain link), and paste your url (the address you want to link to) into the box provided. Click "Submit".

The post says ‘This discussion is closed for comments’. I want to continue the conversation. How do I do that?

When a post reaches 1000 comments, it closes automatically. This is to stop certain pages over-loading and to keep the site running smoothly. If you’d like to talk about the same topic some more, please just start a new post with the same title.Your old thread will continue to stay in its original place on the forums and you can access it whenever you want.

Account & Settings

How do I change my password?

Go to your profile page, and click on "Change password and e-mail settings" link in the left column. This will take you to your BabyCenter account page where you can change your password (as well as your e-mail address, and your due date or the birth date of your children.)

How do I change my newsletter subscriptions?

Go to your profile page, and click on the "Newsletter subscriptions" link in the left column. This will take you to a page where you can change which emails you are signed up for.

General

Every item on the site - including groups, posts, photos, videos and profiles - has a "Report violation" link. Once you have reported the item, we will investigate and take any steps necessary to resolve the situation.

How do I contact the community managers?

From bugs to bad behavior, we are only a click away. You can ask questions about using the community at the Friends of BabyCenter Group. Or if you prefer you can e-mail us directly at in_community@babycenter.com.

Join our birth clubs
Find your Birth Club and meet other mums and mums-to-be who are due in the same month as you, or whose babies are the same age as yours. Share tips and exchange advice, as your babies grow up together.